LARAY STRATEGIC ADVISORY @ArrayConsult

The Iranian navy, which has been destroyed eight times, has apparently closed the Strait of Hormuz again, because the United States, for the seventh time, won the war that wasn’t a war, so now the United States has to open the Strait of Hormuz that was already open before the not-war began. The not-war began because Iran had uranium that was totally, completely, beautifully obliterated, so they can’t build the nuclear bomb they weren’t building, which is why the United States had to start the not-war it definitely didn’t start. Now the United States, which has nuclear weapons, is threatening to use nuclear weapons to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, because nuclear weapons are far too dangerous for countries with nuclear weapons to allow other countries to have. If the United States saw the United States doing what the United States does in other countries, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States.

À Lomé, Biashara Afrika 2026 a acté un déplacement: la ZLECAf quitte le terrain des principes pour celui de la mise en œuvre. Jour 3: commerce intra-africain, chaînes de valeur, industrialisation, commerce numérique, convergence réglementaire. L'intégration se jugera à la transformation économique qu'elle produit. Vous en pensez quoi? Répondez et retweetez. #BA2026 #CréerUnSeulMarchéAfricain

Abyssinia with Eritrea and British, Italian & French Somaliland By George Philip & Son Published by the London Geographical Institute London, 1930

Comment l’Afrique peut transformer ses zones économiques spéciales en un puissant levier d’industrialisation (Rapport) agenceecofin.com/actualites/030…

🇫🇷 🌐 #France is currently home to more than 350 #data centres, with the largest located just on the outskirts of Paris. Japanese tech giant #SoftBank has pledged €45 billion of investment in France by 2031, part of which will be dedicated to building three more data centres. France is positioning itself as an ideal location to build the behemoth buildings, but locals around proposed data centre sites have raised concerns about their land and electricity use.

À l'ouverture du Korea-Africa Business Forum 2026, S.E. Wamkele Mene, Secrétaire général du Secrétariat de la ZLECAf, a souligné l'évolution des relations entre l'Afrique et la Corée : d'une coopération au développement classique vers un partenariat stratégique porté par le commerce, l'investissement, l'industrialisation et l'innovation. Dans son intervention, il a mis en avant les opportunités qui émergent sous la ZLECAf dans des secteurs comme l'industrie automobile, les produits pharmaceutiques, la transformation des minerais stratégiques et le commerce numérique. Il a relevé que le marché intégré africain de 1,4 milliard de personnes et la montée en puissance des chaînes de valeur régionales représentent des opportunités sérieuses pour les entreprises coréennes. Le Secrétaire général a également insisté sur le fait que les Protocoles de la ZLECAf sur l'investissement et le commerce numérique apportent davantage de certitude, de prévisibilité et d'accès au marché pour les investisseurs, renforçant l'attractivité de l'Afrique comme destination d'investissement. S.E. Mene a appelé à des partenariats interentreprises plus étroits et à un engagement accru du secteur privé, réaffirmant que l'Afrique est ouverte aux affaires et prête à travailler avec la Corée pour ouvrir des opportunités de commerce et d'investissement mutuellement bénéfiques, au service de l'industrialisation, de la création d'emplois et d'une prospérité partagée. #ZLECAf #KoreaAfricaBusinessForum #CommerceEtInvestissement #Industrialisation #CommerceNumérique #PartenariatAfriqueCorée #CommerceIntraAfricain #Investissement #UnSeulMarchéAfricain

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Au cours de la table ronde du Comité économique Afrique-Corée, S.E. Wamkele Mene, Secrétaire général de la ZLECAf, a présenté la création du Comité d'affaires Afrique-Corée comme une étape dans la concrétisation des résultats du Sommet Afrique-Corée de 2024. En ouverture, il a souligné le rôle de cette plateforme pour resserrer les liens entre les secteurs privés coréen et africain et transformer les engagements pris au plus haut niveau en partenariats concrets, dans le commerce, l'investissement et l'industrie. Le Secrétaire général a mis en avant l'immense potentiel de l'Afrique dans l'industrie manufacturière, les minerais stratégiques, l'industrialisation verte et les investissements liés au climat. Il a réaffirmé l'engagement du continent en faveur d'un système commercial fondé sur des règles et les efforts en cours pour lever les obstacles au commerce afin de faciliter les affaires et l'investissement. S.E. Mene a invité les entreprises des deux régions à saisir les opportunités qui s'ouvrent et à nouer des partenariats durables et commercialement viables. Il a insisté sur un point : face à une incertitude mondiale croissante, l'Afrique et la Corée doivent agir ensemble pour bâtir davantage de stabilité, élargir les flux de commerce et d'investissement, et produire des résultats mesurables qui démontrent la solidité, la résilience et la valeur de ce partenariat. #ZLECAf #CréerUnSeulMarchéAfricain #AfriqueCorée #Industrialisation #Investissement #IntégrationRégionale

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🚨 LARAY’s Briefing Report is LIVE Read the full analysis here: open.substack.com/pub/laraystrat…

In Windhoek, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, participated in the 25th Annual Lecture Series themed “Can Intra-African Trade Enhance Namibia’s Economy?”, organised by the Ministry of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia in honour of the late Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab, distinguished statesman and former President of the United Nations General Assembly. In his keynote address, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the importance of pan-African unity and economic integration, noting that amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and global economic disruptions, advancing intra-African trade remains central to Africa’s resilience and economic transformation. He further highlighted the need to address infrastructure constraints while leveraging Namibia’s strategic position as a logistics hub, and underscored the role of the AfCFTA in strengthening regional value chains, promoting intra-African trade, and supporting inclusive growth for youth, women, and MSMEs across Africa. #AfCFTA #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

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Africa’s next trade breakthrough? Not tariffs! Save the Date for the Africa Trade Development Forum (ATDF) 2026. This year, the biennial event is co-convened with the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. The high-level platform will bring together African governments, international partner capitals, businesses, investors, and trade experts to engineer the future of Africa’s exports, and by extension the continent's economic growth - through quality for market entry and sustained access. Look out for your invitation or details on how to apply for accreditation. ------------------------------------------------------------ La prochaine grande avancée commerciale de l’Afrique ? Ce ne sont pas les tarifs douaniers ! Réservez la date pour le Forum africain sur le commerce et le développement (ATDF) 2026. Cette année, l’événement biennal est coorganisé avec le Gouvernement de la République fédérale démocratique d’Éthiopie. Cette plateforme de haut niveau réunira des gouvernements africains, des partenaires internationaux, des entreprises, des investisseurs et des experts du commerce afin de concevoir l’avenir des exportations africaines — et, par extension, la croissance économique du continent — grâce à la qualité comme levier d’accès aux marchés et de maintien durable de cet accès. Restez à l’affût de votre invitation ou des informations sur les modalités de demande d’accréditation. #ATDF2026 #AfricaQualityExports @TCatalystAfrica @ethiop_mot

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Central Bank Revises FX Directive, Loosens Trade Finance Controls 🔗 Read the full story: thereporterethiopia.com/50848/

Happy #AfricaDay

Today marks a celebration of Africa's diversity, resilience, and potential. #AfricaDay reaffirms the continent's shared vision for unity and prosperity. TradeMark Africa supports this vision by growing intra-African trade, reducing barriers, and creating opportunities that lift communities across the continent. From border efficiency to digital innovation, from empowering vulnerable groups to building sustainable trade corridors, every step forward moves toward the Africa TradeMark Africa believes in. Together, let us keep Africa trading and thriving. #AfricaDay #KeepAfricaTrading

In my own words I caution that assuming the Middle East’s historic focus on development of petroleum resources means the region is not endowed with minerals including those critical for energy transition would be a premature for some countries and an incorrect for others. Sheila Khama - YouTube Subscribe to sheilakhama.com/podcast/ to receive an alert on this and other series. @AfricanAmdc @IGFMining @CCSI_Columbia @KACST #Saudi_Geological_Survey @CSIR @MaadenKSA @PolicyCenterNS

@dya_bamakhrama Excellent nouvelle Monsieur l’ambassadeur!

The automotive sector is one of the five strategic value chains prioritised under the AfCFTA Value Chain Development Programme, underscoring its importance in driving industrialisation, technology transfer, regional value chains, and job creation across Africa. At #BiasharaAfrika2026, a session on “Driving Africa’s Automotive Future through AfCFTA” featured Mr Tarek Ismail Moaasaad, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Middle East and Africa, who highlighted Hyundai’s commitment to supporting Africa’s automotive industry beyond production on the continent through technical skills development initiatives, capacity building, and investments aimed at strengthening the automotive value chain across the continent. The dialogue, moderated by Godfrey Mutizwa, Journalist at CNBC Africa, emphasised the importance of partnerships, innovation, and skills development in positioning Africa as a competitive player in the global automotive industry. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

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Insightful discussions continue in Lomé as Day 1 of #BiasharaAfrika2026 progresses. The panel discussion *Building Competitive African Value Chains: From Commodities to Competitiveness* featured keynote remarks by Ms Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, who emphasised the need to support African businesses in fully leveraging AfCFTA opportunities and highlighted the role of platforms like Biashara Afrika in strengthening SME capacities and market linkages. The panel brought together Dr Joy Kategekwa of the AfDB, Ms Ibukun Awosika, Founder of The Chair Centre Group, Ms Happiness Nyiti of AJA Limited Tanzania, and Mr Souleymane Diagne, Group Head of Trade Finance at Ecobank. Discussions focused on financing infrastructure and industrial development, unlocking manufacturing potential, scaling regional production systems, and strengthening the private sector’s role in Africa’s economic transformation. A key takeaway from the session was the need to move from policy to implementation by addressing border barriers and investing in infrastructure that enables regional integration. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #Industrialisation #IntraAfricanTrade

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@doingbusinessdj Un peu en avance, n’est-ce pas ?

“AfCFTA is a sovereignty tool for the continent’s economy.” Opening #BiasharaAfrika2026, H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, called for urgent action to turn the promise of the AfCFTA into real economic transformation for Africa. He highlighted persistent barriers to intra-African trade — from high logistics costs and non-tariff barriers to border inefficiencies — stressing that Africa must move faster to facilitate the movement of goods and people across the continent. In a shifting geopolitical landscape, H.E. Gnassingbé underscored that no African economy can defend its interests alone, underscoring the need for regional integration more than ever. He stressed that Africa’s transformation will be driven by stronger regional value chains, a competitive private sector, and ensuring women, youth, and African SMEs fully benefit from the opportunities created by the AfCFTA. He further challenged #BiasharaAfrika2026 to move beyond dialogue and become a platform for practical solutions, implementation, and action toward #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

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Across the Republic of Somaliland, preparations are underway for the commemoration of #18May2026. Cities are adorned in national colours, communities are coming together, and the nation is preparing to mark a historic year defined by recognition,resilience and national pride.